Apparatus for pickling metal articles



Oct. 14-, 1941. YOUNG ETAL 2,258,921

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL ARTICLES Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.2. Fl'G.l.

INVENTORS L.YOUNG M. N. BEDELL ATTORNEY Oct. 14-, 1941. YOUNG ET AL I 2,258,921

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL ARTICLES Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3. FIG.4.

I N VE NTORS -L.YOUNG4 BY M.N.BEDELL Oct. 14, 1941. L. YOUNG ETAL 2,258,921

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL ARTICLES Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.6.

INVENTORS L.YOUNG %M N.BE DELL ATTORN Oct. 14, 1941. YOUNG ETAL 2,258,921

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL ARTICLES Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.7.

'INVENTORS L. YOUNG BY :%M.N. BE DELL ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1941 APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL ARTICLES Lal'e Young and Milo N. Be Dell, Alton, m., as-

slgnors to Laclede Steel Company, St. Louis,

Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January 22,1940, Serial Nip 314,948

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to means for pickling metal articles and while it may be employed for pickling articls of any form, it is especially adapted for use in connection with tubular articles such as pipes, rod coils or the like. Difficulty has heretofore been encountered in pickling such tubular articles, particularly when their lengths are great in proportion to their diameters. This is due to the pickling fluid remaining stagnant in the relatively small bore of such tubular article, its inertia preventing its response to any general stirring or agitation of the liquid in the pickling tank.

One object of our invention is to provide pickling means in which a tank is provided with a propeller for circulating the pickling fluid therein, said propeller being so located with respect to tubular articles acted upon that the latter will act to conduct and direct the flow of liquid insuring uniform action on both the interior and exterior surfaces of the article.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for driving a propeller mounted on an approximately horizontal shaft in a pickling tank without necessitating the formation of openings in the tankv walls or shell for driving connections.

A still further object of our invention is the use of a. horizontal shaft through the tank in connection with the product operated upon which will serve asa conductor for the pickling fluid.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate some forms of apparatus made in accordance with our invention, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through one end of a pickling tank; Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammatical top View; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, th caisson cap being omitted; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l, but showing a modification; Figure 5 is a'similar view showing a further modification; Figure 6 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a sectional view of another modification.

The numeral I6 indicates a pickling tank or vat and is of relatively great length with respect to its width so as to accommodate long slender tubular articles such as pipes or rod coils. Positioned adjacent one end wall of the tank is a well or caisson H which may be secured in place in any suitable manner. In the drawings we have shown it attached to a motor supporting platform l2 which is secured to a filler block is on the wall by screws l4. Mounted in the front wall of the caisson is a bearing l5 in which is journalled a horizontal propeller shaft is. On the forward end of the shaft It is a propeller ll and on th rear end a pulley wheel l8. The latter is driven by a belt ts from the driving wheel 20 of a motor 2| carried on platform 12. To provide meansfor tightening the belt, the motor is not mounted directly on the platform but on a table 22 pivoted at 23 to the platform and provided with adjusting screws 24 by means of which it may be moved on its pivot. The upper end of the caisson is preferably closed by a cap 25. To prevent the pickling bath from entering the caisson around shaft IS, the bearing 15 is provided with packing 26. In case any fiuid should pass the packing, it will be thrown forward by a conical rotary deflector 21 mounted on the shaftadjacent the belt so as to protect the latter from contact with the corrosive fluid. Any such fluid will collect in the sump formed by the lower end of the caisson and may be drawn off by any suitable means, such as a suction pipe (not shown) Lubricant may be supplied to the hearing by an oil pipe 28.

In the operation of our pickling apparatus the articles to be treated, shown as pipes 29, are placed in the tank in front of and closely adjacent the propeller, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Chain slings or their equivalent indicated at 30 may be employed to insert and remove the article from the tank. The action of th propeller forces the pickling fluid through the bores of the pipes as well as the spaces between them. Such openings thus form conduits. Such openings thus direct and conduct the flow of the fluid insuring circulation throughout the entire length of the tank to effectively treat both the inner and outer surfaces of the articles.

I In Figure 4 we have shown a modification of our apparatus in which in place of the caisson I I a casting 3| is carried by the platform l2. This casting includes a tubular upright 32 terminating in an upper gear case 33 and a lower gear. case 34. Extending through the upright is a vertical drive shaft 35 carrying on its upper end a bevel gear wheel 36. The wheel 36 meshes with a second bevel gear wheel 20 on the motor shaft. On the lower end of the shaft 35 is a bevel gear wheel 31 meshing with a bevel gear wheel 38 on the propeller shaft Hi. The latter shaft is enclosed in a bearing 39 having a packing 26 like the bearing [5 hereinbefore described. Gears 3? and 38 are enclosed in the gear case 3'4jwhich has a cover 40 to provide 'an oil chamber M to lubricate the gears and assist the packing in preventing the entrace of the pickling fluid.

The operation of this form of our device is the same as that of the form previouslydescribed.

The casting performs the function of protecting the power transmission from the action of the fluid and thus takes the place of the caisson.

In Figures 5 and 6 we have shown a further modification. In this form of the device one end of the tank itself is partitioned of! to form a well or caisson to receive the transmission gearing. Adiacent one of the end walls the tank is provided with a bulkhead 42 having a central opening 43. This opening is covered by a plate 44 of acid resisting metal which may be held in place by any suitable means such as the adjustable struts 45. Extending through the plate is a bearing 46 for the propeller shaft. This bearing is provided with a flange 41 which is welded or otherwise tightly secured to the plate to prevent entrance of the fluid through the opening therein. The bearing 46 is carried by a bracket 48 formed integral with or secured to the platform I2. Journaled in the bracket is an upright drive shaft 48 carrying a. bevel gear wheel 50 engaging with a bevel gear wheel 5| on the propeller shaft. The shaft 49 may be connected to a motor on the platform 12 by bevel gear- 1 iflcation in which the driving means extends through a wall of the tank. This construction is particularly applicable where the tank I! is made of wood. The shaft l4 extends through a bearing block 42 moimted in the end wall of the tank and making a fluid-tight joint therewith by any suitable means, such as clamping nut 53. Escape of fluid around the shaft is prevented by a packing I4 and gland ii. The propeller shaft may be an extension of the shaft of motor 2| but ispreferably formed of a sepaincluding a driving belt extending upwardly ing as described in connection with the form through the caisson, and a rotary deflector on the shaft adjacent the belt to protect the latter from fluid entering the caisson around the shaft.

LAF'E YOUNG. MILO N. BE DELL. 

